


Unknotting Unknots

by reylocalligraphy



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alpha Rey (Star Wars), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Author is not an expert on corn, Autumn, F/M, Firepit snuggles, First Kiss, Fluff, Marriage Proposal, Omega Ben Solo, Robotics, Scenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-05 16:05:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16370756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reylocalligraphy/pseuds/reylocalligraphy
Summary: Rey doesn’t know who moves first. Maybe they both do, his lips crashing down and her body leaning forward. Their lips meet in a tender, careful clash. He has such gentle lips, so easy to melt into, but too soon, he breaks the kiss.“I’m sorry,” he whispers instantly. His eyes are wide with fear, theoh my god I just kissed an Alpha without her permission look.“I shouldn’t have done that.”***Rey’s world is turned upside down when she meets Ben Solo—an Omega unlike any she’s ever met before.





	Unknotting Unknots

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nessalk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nessalk/gifts).



> This is written for The Writing Den's Fall Fic Exchange. Nessalk, thank you for your wonderful prompts of **firepit snuggles** and **corn maze**! I took this way further than I had originally planned, hope you like it!
> 
> Thank you to [Like_A_Dove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Like_A_Dove/pseuds/Like_A_Dove) and [Ever-so-reylo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ever_So_Reylo/pseuds/Ever-so-reylo) for beta-ing this fic for me, both tremendous writers who provided me lots of help and support.

 

The Amidala River ripples under the morning sun, each wave glittering as though it is encrusted with diamonds.

 

Rey whips her head back inside the car, eyes boring into the leather of the back of the driver’s seat. She inhales deeply, savoring the sensations of the fresh October air traveling through her lungs. She pauses upon catching a whiff of the cab driver’s scent—it’s clear that he’s attempted to disguise himself, but there’s a whisk of Omega hidden within.

 

Her body gives no reaction; no twitch, no tingling, _nothing._

 

Though she will be graduating from university in eight months, at the already ripe age of twenty-two, Rey has had little romantic success in her life. She never reacted, physically or otherwise, when meeting a compatible candidate. Perhaps attending an all-Alpha university in Naboo Tech and competing daily within her school’s cutthroat culture has dulled any desire for engaging in romantic relationships. Maybe it has honed her own Alpha-ness as well—Rey knows for a fact that she isn’t the most bearable individual to tolerate.

 

“How long until we arrive?” she questions tersely. Her gaze shifts to her watch; the conference keynote is scheduled to begin in sixteen minutes, and she has yet to sign in.

 

The driver swallows thickly. “Uh, the GPS says twenty more minutes, ma’am.” His grip on the wheel tightens, his knuckles whitening. “The traffic is … not ideal.”

 

Rey’s eyes narrow. “What?” she exclaims. If there is one thing she hates above the rest, it is arriving late. Her Alpha nature has taught her that if you want something, you must do everything you can to get it—and not being punctual never led to anything good.

 

An irritated sigh escapes her lips. “That’s okay, I’ll walk instead.” _More like sprint, but that will still beat the city traffic._

 

“Wait—”

 

Rey opens the door and gracefully hops onto the sidewalk, slamming it with a newfound boldness. She straightens her blazer, wrapping her arms around herself to brace against the hearty autumn breeze, and begins to run.

 

❀-❋-❀-❋-❀

 

“Rey Johnson,” she whispers breathlessly, placing her palms on the registration counter. “Here for the National Artificial Intelligence Convention.”

 

The red-haired man at the front desk glances up at her harried, sweaty state with a quirk of an eyebrow, suspicion gleaming in his pale green pupils. “ID please?”

 

Rey hands over the card. She hums quietly as the registration officer swipes her ID and scans her information.

 

“Thank you, please wait over here for a minute as my colleague prints your badge. _Next!”_

 

A tall, broad man strides to Rey’s side. She can’t help but notice how snugly his suit fits his frame, a black bow tie settled on his collar bone to complete the polished look.

 

Her inner conscience stirs, butterflies fluttering within the cage of her stomach.

 

“Ben Solo.” He slides his ID across the counter without any hesitance, but Rey can see his foot tapping rapidly against the floor.

 

The registration officer swipes his card. He frowns when the ID reader glows red.

 

“I’m sorry, this conference is for Alphas only, Mr. Solo.”

 

The suited man is unsurprised at the response; he whips out his phone and opens his email app. “I have record of purchasing a ticket for this Convention right here. The website did not state it was Alphas-only.”

 

Laughter peters from the registration officer’s lips; deep chuckles rumble through his stomach, reverberating through the hall. “I’m sorry—” he wheezes, not bothering to verify his statement. “You, an _Omega_ , thought you could attend the nation’s biggest AI convention?”

 

Rey’s eyes widen at the accusation. She had not sensed the man’s scent at all; clearly he had done his utmost to disguise it.

 

But the official ID every individual is forced to carry never lies.

 

Ben shifts the pressure from one foot to another, though he remains calm and unwavering. “Yes, sir. The website did not state any limitations on attendee eligibility.”

 

The registration officer cackles even louder; his cheeks, lit aflame with energy exerted from his booming laughter, match the shade of his fiery ginger hair. “Sure,” he sneers. “Security!”

 

A group of uniform-donning police instantly appeared by his side. Rey’s jaw drops at the suddenness of the scene—one minute ago, she had been signing in, with that man standing behind her; now, he was being dragged out of the convention center in handcuffs, his brows furrowed, face scrunched in pain and anger.

 

“The door to the keynote is on your left, ma’am.”

 

Rey ignores the registration officer’s voice. Clutching her ID in one hand and her purse in the other, she dashes out the door, all her eagerness for machine learning and computer vision vanishing like a wisp of smoke.

 

“Excuse me, sir?” she pants out, finally catching up to the man two blocks later. “Mr. Solo?”

 

His long strides slow to a halt, eyes widening when he glances down at her. “Yes,” he utters hesitantly, “and you are?”

 

“Uh—” Rey hasn’t imagined this conversation proceeding this far. “I’m Rey. I’m no one, really.”

 

“Okay…” His voice trails off in confusion. “Nice to meet you, Rey. I’m Ben.” His eyes suddenly flash in recognition. “Wait, weren’t you the person standing in front of me at the convention center?”

 

She blinks in surprise. “Yes, I am.” Rey fiddles with the zipper of her purse, uncertain how to articulate her next words. “I saw that you were dragged out of there—like an animal—and I thought it was quite unfair.”  

 

To her shock, he doesn’t nod, nor does he exclaim words of adamant agreement. Ben merely shrugs. “Happens all the time, it was worth a shot.”

 

She’s sure that her eyebrows are touching her hairline at the moment. “You—what?” she cries. “ _All the time?_ You’ve never filed a complaint about this?”

 

He snorts. “Nah.” Chocolate pupils stare at her from underneath long, dark lashes. “You’re clearly an Alpha. Why aren’t you at the conference?”

 

“I—I don’t understand,” Rey speaks quietly, ignoring his question because not even she herself could answer that question. “Forgive me for being direct, but could I buy you a coffee?” She wipes her palms on her crimson blazer. “You just—you seem like a person with stories to tell, and I’d like to hear them.”

 

Ben tilts his head to the side, perusing her silently from head to toe. Finally, he nods. “I suppose I can’t turn down a free coffee, can I?”

 

The corner of her lips tug upwards.

 

❀-❋-❀-❋-❀

 

Fifteen minutes later, Rey finds herself sitting across from the stranger—Ben, she reminds herself—with a large cappuccino, the ivory splashes of milk foam lining the dark brown coffee in swirls. She lifts the mug to her lips and sips, the hot liquid heating her throat in a soothing burn.

 

Ben shifts around uncomfortably, a crouching hulk in the plastic chair clearly too small for his stature. He deftly sinks two lumps of sugar into his espresso.

 

“So, are you interested in artificial intelligence?” She breaks the tense silence with an innocent question, though Rey is, indeed, extremely curious to hear his answer.

 

His lip twitches. “In a sense, yes,” Ben replies. “It’s been in the news a lot the last two years, you know? So I’ve read about some of it.” He stirs his coffee with a silver teaspoon in measured circles. “This conference popped up on my Facebook, and for once—it was probably an accident—the website didn’t list it as an Alphas-only convention. So I decided to shoot my shot. As you saw, it clearly didn’t work,” he bitterly spits out. His brows draw taut, the creases by his eyes wrinkling in a crestfallen manner.

 

Rey’s heart splinters at the sight. Her fists clench, enraged at the injustice. “At least you Omegas have your own conferences, right?” she asks.

 

Ben furiously shakes his head. “Nope,” he states, popping the last syllable with great clarity. “You really think society would let _us Omegas_ do anything tech related?”

 

“Yes…?” Rey cannot wrap her head around the idea of not being allowed to pursue something one is interested in. “You’re a human being with a working brain and functioning organs, just like any Alpha or Beta, why shouldn’t you be allowed?”

 

He shuts his eyes briefly, rubbing his forehead with his palm, before they reopen.

 

“They really keep you all in this… _bubble_ , don’t they?” he sighs. “Look, Rey. Alphas are at the top of hierarchy—they can have anything they want. Look at the CEOs of every single company around us—”

 

Names flashed through her mind—corporate franchises, law firms, tech giants, venture capitalist firms. Indeed, each one is headed by a leader who was unmistakably Alpha.

 

“—they’re all Alphas. Your type can compete for high-paying jobs, government positions, anything.” Only the clinks of the metal against the porcelain peppers the silence shrouding them.  “While we, Omegas, are at the bottom of society. We’re seen as useless, submissive beings whose only purpose is to mate with Alphas.”

 

Her jaw drops at his proclamation. “I’m sure that’s not true—”

 

“Trust me, it is.” Ben purses his lips, raking his hand through his soft curls, as dark as obsidian. “Omegas just stay home and take care of the family.” His espresso, still filled to the mug’s rim, sits still on the table, untouched. “So we’re not really meant for employment. Especially not in something as fancy as tech or AI, you see? I’m graduating next June and my only option afterwards is to return home.”

 

Rey shakes her head, her brown tresses brushing over her eyelids. “That’s not true. I am _certain_ you—or anyone else—could excel in this field. You just need some guidance and resources to start.”

 

She pauses, deep in thought. An idea—a sudden stroke of genius—unfurls within her mind.

 

“Would you like to come visit my university sometimes?” she blurts out. “Naboo Tech. I can show you around campus, the engineering spaces and resources.”

 

His lips part open, but no words fall out. His eyes pour into hers, the intensity of his gaze so dense and smoldering that a tingling shiver runs through her body.

 

 _“Really?”_ he whispers, widened eyes glowing with desire, a yearning mixed with curiosity rising from many years of repressed wishes.

 

“Yeah, I definitely can sneak you in.” She bobs her head eagerly, before her lips curve into a grimace. “You might need to stuff yourself with suppressants and blockers though, sorry.”

 

“No, that’s fine. I’m used to that anyway.” He drums his fingers on the table, unable to shake off his uncontrollable excitement. “I’d love to visit. Truly. I cannot say how grateful I am—”

 

“How does next Saturday sound?” Rey asks. Her heart hammers against her chest, in delight and nervousness alike. She grabs a napkin and scribbles her phone number on the brown surface, before sliding it across the table.

 

A soft smile graces his lips. It’s the first smile she has ever seen on him, and it _suits_ him, much more than the pained frown of a boy who was forced to grow into an adult too quickly, desensitized to society’s injustices.

 

“That sounds perfect.”

 

Rey makes it her life mission to see that smile again.

 

❀-❋-❀-❋-❀

 

It turns out one brief conversation over coffee turns to be something much more. Something _spectacular_.

 

They exchange texts throughout the next two weeks; her thumbs dancing across the screen between classes, during her morning walks to breakfast, any chance she finds. It’s a nice feeling—and an unfamiliar one—to have a true friend to talk to without the pressure of knowing she needed to destroy them in an ultimate competition of the Alphas.

 

She finds herself humming, or even _smiling_ , a lot more than usual.

 

She wonders why.

 

He shows up at ten in the morning, exactly as planned. This time, he’s not donning a suit—just a flannel jacket and blue jeans, yet he looks even _better_.

 

It should honestly be illegal for a man to look so… so _divine_ on a casual Saturday morning.

 

A soothing warmth blossoms in her chest upon seeing him at the gate, one of familiarity and joy. She can’t remember when was the last time her heart felt more buoyant in meeting someone.

 

They stroll across the campus, a nervous hesitance shrouding the air between them, until they finally arrive at the engineering labs.

 

“What—” he chokes on his breath as his eyes flicker to the left. His fingertips press against the glass of the window. “Your school has a robotics lab?”

 

Rey blinks. Her chest flutters in sympathy, a petal slowly drifting to the floor of her heart, piercing the bubble of optimism she inhabited even further. She bites down on her cheek to halt her automatic retort—“Well, _duh…_ ”— and takes a deep breath. “Yep!”

 

She shoves the door open, gesturing for the gobsmacked man to follow her inside.

 

“Here are the basic engineering tools—drill press, laser cutter, 3D printer,  soldering iron… I can show you how to use them later… Over there, that’s the quadcopter corner—” she points to the her right, “—where some researchers are experimenting to improve the drone capabilities…”

 

Her rambling continues on, spinning into a full-fledged tour that addresses every device present, but Ben drinks every word in. He greets the room with unceasing wonder, his eyes roaming every inch of the lab space.

 

“We’re also currently working on designing a haptic simulator for surgeons—”

 

“—so they could practice their movements before they actually perform operations, correct?” he interrupts, eyes shining bright with curiosity. A half-smile graces his lips—one that Rey finds to be incredibly handsome and sexy, one that she would like to kiss—she shakes her head to clear that dangerous thought.

 

“Yes, exactly!” She learns that Ben is a brilliant individual, firing insightful questions one after another. Rey is surprised to find that she isn’t irritated at supervising him in drilling holes through a metal sheet for the next thirty minutes; in fact, it is quite endearing, watching a grown man marvel at a hole-filled sheet like a child entering a candy store for the first time.

 

She internally weeps at the possibility that there could be more Omegas like him out there, brimming with so much intellectual potential, but who simply don’t have the resources or opportunities to be exposed to fields like engineering.

 

“You ready to visit the virtual reality lab next?” Her lips stretch into an eager grin. “I’ll show you how to paint in 3D.”

 

“Are you serious, that’s actually a thing?”

 

❀-❋-❀-❋-❀

 

“I never knew there were so many… _cool_ things in engineering, for lack of a better word,” Ben utters quietly, his focus trained on the flickering flames of the firepit. “Touching them, actually using those tech devices—that was all so surreal.”

 

Rey bobs her head in a nod. In the far distance, the university bell chimes nine times.

 

“I don’t know if coming here has made me happier or sadder,” he sighs, fingers raking through his hair.

 

“Why would it make you sadder?” she questions.

 

The fire roars stronger, bright embers illuminating the darkened charcoal. The heavy, dense smoke burns her throat, in a sharp, uncomfortable way; but this was the only solution to hide Ben’s scent after his suppressants faded throughout the day, sitting by a firepit on the edge of campus.

 

He rubs his eyelids. “Before today, I wasn’t… aware of what I was missing out. Now that I do...” He draws out the last word, hesitant and contemplative. “I don’t think I can ever go back. I won’t stop thinking about this, about all that I can’t do.”

 

“But you _can_ ,” Rey insists. She turns to face him, gazing into his deep brown eyes, tiny sparks of firelight swirling in their watery depths. “I fully believe you can. _I’ll help you.”_

 

Ben shakes his head. “I grew up in the countryside, you know?” The radiant firelight laps gently against his skin, shadows dancing across his face. “In the corn fields, it didn’t matter if you were an Alpha or Omega. Not like in the city. If your hands work and you can pick corn, you're in the field no matter what.”

 

“Wow.” Rey ruminates over a world of equal opportunities, a society not governed by a hierarchy nor deeply rooted in prejudices.

 

He bows his head, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’ve never felt so alone.”

 

“You’re not alone.” The words rush out of her mouth in a breathy whisper, carried into the rattling autumn winds, but he still catches them.

 

“Neither are you.”

 

His lips curve upwards into that tender yet _devastating_ half-smile again, brimming with a surge of hope and faith. It makes him look younger and softer, especially when framed in the flickering glow of the fire.

 

Rey doesn’t know who moves first. Maybe they both do, his lips crashing down and her body leaning forward.

 

Their lips meet in a tender, careful clash. He has such gentle lips, easy to melt into, but too soon, he breaks the kiss.

 

“I’m sorry,” he whispers instantly. His eyes are wide with fear, the _oh my god I just kissed an Alpha without her permission_ look. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

 

She shakes her head, before wordlessly tugging his lips back to hers. He cries in surprise, before he is silenced by her deepened kiss. It’s no longer gentle, but a rough battle of wills. A whimper escapes his mouth as she softly bites down on his plump lower lip, her tongue darting out to trace along it; his delightful Omega scent, roaming freely now that his numerous suppressants have faded, tastes like the crisp autumn breeze mixed with the smoky aroma of the fire blazing near them.  

 

Rey feels him smile into the kiss, his lips curving ever so slightly. His strong fingers pull her waist closer to him, his thumb drawing small, feathery circles on her bare back. She hooks her arm around his neck, her other hand reaching for his hair, stroking through his silky, obsidian locks. Her blood boils beneath her skin, a newfound giddiness swimming through her body, sensations she never knew she was capable of feeling filling her to the brim.

 

When they finally pull apart for air—and that is _quite_ a while longer—they stare into each other’s blown pupils, their hearts hammering, chests heaving for oxygen.

 

An unspoken undercurrent flows between them, an eternal bond forged that night.

 

❀-❋-❀-❋-❀

 

They move in together after graduation.

 

Some deemed their relationship to be speeding too quickly— _you only just met eight months ago!_ —while others thought they were progressing too slowly— _you two are practically soulmates, an Alpha/Omega pairing meant to be!_ —but Ben and Rey chose to ignore all the extraneous noises.

 

In their world, it is just the two of them; two individuals, deeply in love, striving to break down the walls and ceilings of the society surrounding their world.    

 

Not to mention, Rey _really_ enjoys the breakfast omelettes Ben makes (quite often shirtless, an _extra_ bonus). She can’t thank the universe enough for the blessing that is her boyfriend; a gift that continues to spring surprises on her even after living together. His omelettes are a golden yellow on the outside, neatly diced ham and mushrooms rolled together on the inside—a perfect, mouth-watering combination that she happily devours everyday before heading off to work, developing autonomous software for a robotics firm.

 

Meanwhile, Ben enrolls in an online coding bootcamp. He struggles at first, strangled by the complex and unfamiliar logic of computing algorithms. But he picks himself up and grinds through it, with Rey’s enthusiastic cheerleading during every step of his learning process.

 

Neither of them would change a thing in their current peaceful bliss.

 

Well, maybe except for one thing.

 

Since they day they first met, Rey and Ben have found in each other someone to perfectly balance themselves out—physically, emotionally, and psychologically. While Rey taught Ben the scope of knowledge he previously hadn’t been exposed to, Ben educated Rey on expanding her worldview, to understand life outside of the perspective of an Alpha.

 

And she tried, she really did try to understand.

 

She was jolted awake to the injustices of society’s hierarchy after meeting him. That notion was hammered even harder into her mind after seeing Ben get rejected from one job opportunity after another—even jobs he was _clearly_ qualified for. She intently listened to all his stories about living life and growing up as an Omega. She even met his parents when they came to visit—an absolutely nerve-wracking ordeal at the start, but she soon eased up when she realized how graciously kind Han and Leia were.

 

Rey hopes she could experience that tight-knit, familial bond the Organa-Solo’s forged one day in creating her own family.

 

But the one thing that absolutely _terrifies_ Rey is to visit Ben’s home.

 

Going home with him would signify commitment.

 

Something too grand for her to accept.

 

After all, everyone who has ever been close to her has left her. Yet another lesson from her Alpha nature, reinforced by her messed up childhood.

 

Her parents let her down.

 

The people she once thought were her friends had let her down.

 

Society… society has let her down. Again, and again, and experiencing a completely new side of it with Ben— _again_.

 

What’s to say Ben wouldn’t let her down either? Why would anyone choose to stay with her—she was an unstable, irrationally competitive individual, not to mention an Alpha who most _definitely_ doesn’t adhere to the stereotypical Alpha tendencies.

 

She’s extremely grateful her boyfriend only raises the topic once; sensing her extreme hesitance, he doesn’t bring it up again. But Rey is aware that it’s gnawing at him, his curiosity and frustration itching in his heart like an irritating scratch that keeps returning.

 

The only thing that Rey is more afraid of than facing commitment is having her heart broken.

 

In the meantime, she keeps working hard in her job, climbing up the corporate ladder. She keeps those difficult thoughts in the back of her head, turning them over and over like a roasted marshmallow, ashened cinder flaking from its surface. She continues to deepen the bond between her and Ben; love runs afloat in their household, interlaced between their every moment.

 

❀-❋-❀-❋-❀

 

One autumn arrives, then another, slipping through her notice like the shade of a ghost. Leaves are lined with splashes of marigold and tangerine, trembling in the chilly gusts of wind that relentlessly slap her cheeks; the petals of flowers bloom and wither alike.

 

“Do you want to come home with me?” Ben asks one night as they are gathering dishes after dinner. Two years have passed since their first conversation on the sidewalk outside the convention center. He paces around the kitchen, carding his fingers through his hair repeatedly. “There’s no better time to go visit than in October.”

 

Rey knows that it is time.

 

“I know you’ve been scared to visit the countryside—but you’ve already met my parents, they adore you! I promise, there’s nothing for you to be afraid of, and I will be there too,” he continues, wrapping his arms around her from behind, placing a soft kiss on her hair. _“Please?_ ”

 

It is time for her to face her fears.

 

She now knows that the bond she has with Ben is a special one. Something _irreplaceable._ Time and time again, Ben has had many chances to leave her; instead, they have grown closer with each passing second.

 

She knows _definitively_ that she wants to spend the rest of her life with him.

 

It is also time for her to confront the new.

 

It  seems irrational, for her heart to pound fearfully at the thought of leaving the city and step into bucolic countryside. After all—she is an Alpha. Alphas are supposed to be _fearless_. Bold. Risk-taking. Confident.

 

But to leave the city—not just any city, but the city Rey has spent her entire life living in—and travel to the faraway unknowns, filled with unpredictable variables? How would she deal with the uncharted territory of customs and traditions?

 

Not to mention the blatant unfamiliarity of the corn fields Ben spoke with such longing, the ones he grew up working and playing in. Rey has never even seen a corn that wasn’t packaged in plastic wrapping, or already stripped down to kernels and boiled on her plate.

 

She knows she loves him; that is why she would go.

 

She needs to go. She needs to understand the life her boyfriend grew up with, and learn from it. _Don’t kill the past, use it to grow._

 

“Yes.”

 

Rey knows she has made the right decision when Ben’s face cracks into a blooming grin, his pearly teeth peeking through his lips. (Which soon descend onto hers, soft and plush and  hungry, one kiss turning into many more that night.)

 

They depart two weeks later, her coat pocket bulging slightly in the shape of a small rectangular box.

 

❀-❋-❀-❋-❀

 

“Rey, it’s so wonderful to finally have you here!” Han greets her at the door with a squeezing embrace.

 

Her eyes dart around, fearful and tentative, as she carefully steps inside the house.

 

Leia dashes over to wrap her in a hug as well, one that rivals her husband’s. “Welcome home, Rey, Ben.”

 

_Home._

 

“I heard about your promotion, Rey, congratulations!”

 

A splash of pink blossoms across her cheeks. “Oh thank you. It’s nothing, really.”

 

“It is not _nothing_ .” Ben delivers the last word with forte as he wraps his arms around her torso from behind her. His nose nuzzles her neck affectionately, rubbing off his scent. “Becoming the Director of Engineering at ForceBook—one of the biggest tech companies in the _world_ —definitely something to be proud about!”

 

She interlaces her fingers through his. “You know what I’m proud about? I’m super proud of a certain _someone_ getting hired as a software engineer, the first ever Omega in the company—”

 

Han and Leia both gasp. “Ben—did you—oh my goodness—”

 

“He did!” She beams proudly, spinning around to catch the equally vivid blush spreading across her boyfriend's face.

 

“Well, this certainly deserves a celebration!” Han whoops in glee, before the elderly Beta couple exchange a meaningful glance. “Ben, how about you take Rey on a tour around the farm, and we whip up a celebratory feast!”

 

Ben’s eyes widen. “Oh—you really don’t need to—”

 

“Nonsense, just go and have fun with your beautiful girlfriend!” Leia gently shoves them both towards the back door. A wave of joy floods Rey’s heart at sensing the genuine warmth in his family’s tone and actions, subduing her anxieties. She grins, tugging Ben’s hand, as she dashes outside.

 

❀-❋-❀-❋-❀

 

A strong gust of wind whirls around them, blowing her long brown hair into her eyes. Ben’s hand, dressed in a leather glove, comes up to tenderly brush the strands away.

 

“So here are the corn fields.” He speaks with a fond, faraway look in his eyes, nostalgia running deep with every syllable. “I used to play here as a child, running through the maze in hide-and-seek while my parents would try to catch me.”

 

Her lips curve into a smile, her mind flashing with images of a tiny Ben, sprinting and interweaving through the plants on wobbly legs, donning an eager, crooked grin. “That’s so cute.”

 

“Yeah,” he breathes out, taking long strides into the maze itself. His fingertips brush against the leaves of a corn. “We usually plant the corn after the last frost in spring, when the soil is ready. Otherwise, if it’s too cold or wet, they don’t grow well. They need to be spaced carefully, to optimize the water and fertilizer levels…”

 

Rey nods her head, listening intently.

 

“...Then, we harvest them in the fall—quite soon here, I assume, for this year—hey, maybe we’ll be able to help harvest next week!”

 

She gazes at him adoringly; the smile on his face, wide and bright, illuminated by the wonderful purples and pinks of the sunset. She is extremely glad she finally agreed to accompany Ben to visit his home; it feels like the final puzzle piece in their relationship, clicking into place.

 

“Marry me.”

 

The two words roll out of her mouth before she can even blink. Her mind wipes to a blank, as she grows aware of what she just said.

 

“Are you…” Ben opens and closes his mouth repeatedly as he tries to formulate words. “Are you proposing to me?”

 

Rey releases a puff of nervous laughter. “Well, I’m _trying_ to, _yes_.”

 

She inhales deeply, words pouring out of her chest like a gushing stream. “I—honestly, I wanted to wait until later this trip to proposes, properly planned and with your parents there and everything—but I just couldn’t help it.  Seeing you so passionate, so eager about what you care about made me fall in love with you all over again.” She kneels down, taking out a white velvet box.

 

Unclasping its lid, Rey reveals a golden band with orange sapphires entwined in a braid along the metal, glimmering in the waning sunlight. “I’d love for you to marry me, for us to be together for the rest of our lives.”

 

Ben blinks; once, twice. It feels like an eternity, each passing second of silence stretching into the howling winds surrounding them.

 

“Rey,” he whispers. “I’ve been yours since the day we met, when you accosted me on a random street.” She laughs at this, her eyes watering with memories; memories of joy, of pain, of justice, of love. “We’ve been best friends, soulmates, everything. I’d love to marry you.”

 

A laugh of pure joy escapes her lips, as she carefully slides the ring onto his finger with a trembling hand. He pulls her into a warm embrace, depositing a soft kiss at the crown of her head.

 

_This is what home feels like._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you liked this Reylo fic, please consider checking out my other works [here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reylocalligraphy) ^_^
> 
> Come say hi to me on Tumblr ([@reylocalligraphy](https://reylocalligraphy.tumblr.com)) and Twitter ([@reylocallig](https://twitter.com/reylocallig))!


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